Adelaide Fringe Review: Music with Motion

Over the last few years Australia has enjoyed several video game-inspired concerts. To name a few there’s been Distant Worlds: Music From Final Fantasy, Pokemon: Symphonic Evolutions, The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses and Tripod: This Gaming Life. These have been large scale productions that have toured multiple cities and even international markets. But often it’s the smaller community events that go unnoticed, which is a shame as not only are they produced by talented individuals but can also prove to be a fun night out. This certainly was the case for Music with Motion, an Adelaide Fringe show produced and performed by the Woodville Concert Band at Woodville Town Hall.

During Music with Motion, audience members are treated to some of gaming’s iconic tunes, all while footage is played on a big screen behind the band. The show began with the Overwatch theme and a short introduction video, followed by Papyrus’ theme, Bonetrousle, from Undertale which helped set a comedic tone for what would be a great night.

Between pieces some commentary was provided describing a little history behind the music and also mentioning where each piece has come from. A topic the commentator mentioned which resonated with me was the evolution of 2D to 3D gaming, and how the music in those beloved franchises evolved and became fan favourites. Donkey Kong 64’s Jungle Japes theme was used as an example, along with footage from that game and Donkey Kong Country Returns being shown. Disappointingly, at times the commentary seemed a little too spaced out, often with the band playing three or four unrelated pieces before the commentator returned to the stage. It just felt like there was that little bit missing, though admittedly this is only a minor grievance.

It was nice to see the indie scene represented with some standout titles. Besides Undertale, Team Cherry’s Hollow Knight (which was coincidentally developed in Adelaide) and the highly successful Cuphead were featured. Impressively, the latter came complete with the Barbershop Quartet introduction, and then music and footage from the Root Pack boss fight. I enjoyed the performance so much that I was inspired to purchase Undertale and Hollow Knight, both of which fell under my radar previously.

An element I enjoyed was the use of sound effects. During a rendition of the Luigi’s Mansion suite, for example, footsteps were used to imitate Luigi’s movements on-screen as he ascended a staircase. Quite humorously, a vacuum cleaner was also used to mimic his trusty Poltergust 3000. Another example was the use of whistles during the Rusty Bucket Bay suite from Banjo-Kazooie.

As you may have guessed from this article, Nintendo music was featured heavily throughout the concert, but there were other franchises represented as well. Grand Theft Auto IV, Angry Birds, Diablo and Final Fantasy 14 were just a few names featured in the concert, with more which I will leave unnamed so as not to spoil everything. A departure from the videogame theme of the night was the inclusion of the main suite from Pixar’s The Incredibles, though I’d be lying if I didn’t say it was a welcome addition.

If you’re a gamer that wants to relive some classic moments then Music with Motion comes highly recommended. It’s a celebration of both the past and present games in the industry and you might even be exposed to a franchise that has fallen under your radar. I’ll certainly be keeping a keen eye on what else the Woodville Concert Band has planned for the future.

Music with Motion has just two shows during the 2018 Adelaide Fringe season, playing March 3 and March 10 at Woodville Town Hall at 7pm. Prices start at $5 for children and $15 for adults, with tickets available here for purchase.

Joseph Rositano

While Joseph's main hobby has always centered around video games, he's also taken an interest in movies, musicals and traveling around the world. No one quite knows what Joseph's true motivations are, but rest assured he is always planning his next grand adventure!